Here’s when the storms smashing Australia will give way to clear skies

The front, which brought at least 75,000 lightning strikes to Adelaide on Tuesday night and prompted a flash flood warning in Victoria on Wednesday, is set to cross over the Tasman Sea on Thursday evening.

This week’s wet weather has combined with warmer temperatures than usual, which is bad news for our snow industry ahead of the opening of the ski season this June long weekend.

These conditions are unlikely to change before the season officially begins on Saturday, due to a high pressure front sitting behind the wet weather across eastern Australia.

Snow outlook not good for opening weekend

We’ve been watching the snow potential and freezing levels very carefully, especially with all the recent wet weather coming to the southeast.

There is the chance of some light snow prior to the weekend in NSW and Victoria, particularly into Friday morning, but it doesn’t look to really help the current situation since there is also the chance for more rain or a wintery mix.

Into the weekend, the snow-making potential does look to increase as skies clear.

But when it comes to natural snowfall, the next higher amount might be mid to end of next week and even then, we’re not seeing that much.

Dry conditions return to NSW and ACT behind a cold front

New South Wales will bear the brunt of the wet weather as the cold front crosses over the state on Thursday.

But as we head into the weekend, high pressure – which brings with it generally clear and calm conditions – will build in behind the front and be the dominant weather driver.

This high pressure system will also reduce those overnight lows, and under clear skies, frost is likely to return to the slopes, ranges and inland plains.

Across NSW, temperatures look to be average for this time of year with below-freezing temperatures expected in inland areas in the mornings.

When it comes to wet weather, there is the chance of some onshore flow leading to coastal showers.

This is particularly true along the coast near Coffs Harbour and Byron Bay on Sunday and Monday.

In those regions, at least a couple of millimetres of rain are on the way.

Sydney will see partly cloudy skies for the weekend with a very slight chance of a shower on Saturday and Sunday.

Clear skies ahead for Victoria this King’s Birthday weekend

A few showers will linger in Victoria into the evening on Friday, but the high pressure will then take over and start to clear things up over the long weekend.

Some showers are expected in south-west parts of the state on Saturday, with more clear conditions dominating into Sunday.

After a wet week, Melbourne only has a five per cent chance of precipitation on Saturday and Sunday.

Daytime highs also look likely to remain a couple of degrees above the seasonal average through much of Victoria.

South Australia sees more wet weather

Adelaide looks likely to see some clear and sunny skies heading through Saturday and Sunday, with showers returning into Monday.

Before that though on Saturday morning, there does look to be a chill in the air with a chance of morning frost in the state’s north-west.

The cause of the returning wet weather is a front moving from WA into Monday, bringing wet weather and winds.

Ahead of this front under northerlies, temperatures look to be warmest through the state on Sunday, before cooling into Monday and Tuesday.

Besides this, Sunday could see some showers in the pastoral districts. 

Northern Territory mostly dry and seasonal

Sunny afternoons and warm temperatures are on the way for much of the Northern Territory this upcoming long weekend.

However some areas could see some morning frost and fog under clear skies.

The Simpson and Lasseter Districts could see frost on Saturday and Sunday morning, while the Arnhem and Carpentaria are watching for fog.

A small cloud band looks likely to develop over southern NT from Saturday and bring with it some showers into the weekend.

Though we’re not expecting a ton of accumulation of precipitation under this, a few millimetres are possible.

More rain for Tasmania

Into the weekend, wet weather is likely to continue in Tasmania, with freezing temperatures on Friday likely to go down to as low as 700m.

This means there is also the potential for some significant levels of snowfall and hail in the west.

Showers are likely across the west of the state every day of the long weekend, with Saturday set to see the highest accumulations.

Hobart looks likely to remain fairly dry, with the highest likelihood of a shower on Saturday.

Queensland coastal showers possible

Queensland is likely to remain fairly calm and clear through much of the weekend.

On Friday, there will be some scattered showers along the east coast but they will generally be scattered.

In the southeast interior, the edge of the cold front will bring some wet weather, but this should clear into Saturday.

The chance of isolated showers in far north Queensland will continue through much of the weekend.

There is also the potential for onshore flow to bring some isolated showers to the state’s south-east throughout the weekend, particularly on Sunday morning, with frost likely across the weekend in the southern and central interior.

Temperature-wise, conditions continue to be warm.

The coldest morning in Brisbane looks to be on Saturday with a low of 10C expected – a degree or so below the seasonal average for June.

Western Australia sees more wet weather

More showers are on the cards for Perth into the weekend, with up to 10 millimetres possible on both Saturday and Sunday.

The weather maker here is another cold front that will reach the southwest on Saturday.

This doesn’t look to be a particularly strong front, but there is a higher chance of thunderstorms on Saturday with some localised heavy downpours.